Advantages: Rightly a "Penguin Essential" - it's one of those you just ought to have readDisadvantages: It's violent, and just plain hard work to read - but worth it

A Clockwork Orange comes under the heading of "books you feel you ought to have read by now". Mostly these are books that you don't necessarily want to read, but are considered such classics that an inability to pass any kind of comment upon them suggests ...

Advantages: Learning nadsat, making use of the grey matter!Disadvantages: Disturbing violence

I own the 1972 Penguin Books edition with the distinctive cover designed by David Pelham. As I'm on holiday I thought it would be nice to reread this classic by Anthony Burgess. ANTHONY BURGESS Born John Anthony Burgess Wilson in 1917. Amazingly eno ...

Advantages: Makes you thinkDisadvantages: Not the nicest subject matters ever

I can’t remember why I brought this book, I just remember my 13 year old self dragging my mother round Waterstones in South Kensington, telling her we weren’t leaving the shop until we found it. Then 3 pages into it on the tube, wondering what on earth I ...

Advantages: A marvellous language and a wonderful concept...Disadvantages: Not for the faint-hearted...

...Hello my Ciaoing droogs, I want to govoreet to you about Nadsat, so pour yourselves a long cold peet of breakfast moloko or a steaming chasha of chai to go with your eggiwegs and soldiers and I’ll begin. Do you think Kirsty1 has gone a bit bezoomny? ...